Capuchin Presence in Japan

Capuchins have been present in the country of the “Rising Sun” for more than 70 years, with a fine history of generosity and service by many friars. The mission was entrusted to St. Mary's Province (New York-New England) of the United States, which have maintained a significant presence especially in Okinawa. Currently our friars are also in the diocese of Fukuoka and Saitama (near Tokyo).

Since 2000, the province of Karnataka (India) has been cooperating by sending missionaries to Japan. Today, there are present, two North American friars (one of them is the Bishop of Okinawa), two Japanese friars and 10 Indian friars. For those who arrive, the first two years are for language study, with all its signs and sounds! It is admirable the command that the Indian friars, some with more than 20 years there, have of the local language, and this is absolutely necessary since more than 80% of their pastoral service is in Japanese.

Catholic communities are not very large and are scattered. Therefore, there are many churches in the different towns and villages where there are small groups of faithful, and our friars assist them. In some of these centers, especially in the Diocese of Saitama, there are also immigrant communities, where they celebrate Mass mixing Japanese with their native language (Vietnamese, Filipino, English...). It is a great challenge, one of the bishops said, to live the mission by also going out to meet even those who do not know Christ; to be creative, to put ourselves with young people, to be an upwardly mobile Church. Our friars also collaborate in some schools and in a center for foreigners and homeless.

Certainly, even in Japan, our great challenge as Capuchin missionaries is to serve the Church with our charism as fraternal and contemplative lesser brothers, not letting pastoral services obscure the beauty of our vocation in the Church, for this is our best way to collaborate in building the Kingdom of God. 

We thank God for the beautiful witness of these friars present in Japan. We ask the Lord to keep them in His holy service and bless our presence with vocations. Also, let us remember that if, “by divine inspiration,” other friars from any part of the world want to give their lives in the mission of Japan, they should let us know.